


Bishop Blues

by NYWCgirl



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Concussions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Prison, Sickfic, Team as Family, whumpmac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:54:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29173731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: We didn´t see everything that happened once Mac entered Bishop.
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137467
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Bishop Blues

**Author's Note:**

> The fic fills prompt 3 of Febuwhump, which was ‘Imprisonment’

_Bishop Correctional is home to the worst of the worst. Murders, gang bangers, psychopaths and a whole lot of guys that make them look like choir boys._

The bus stops and Mac gets out of it, walking up to the entrance of the building, accompanied by cat whistles and men shouting things he doesn´t want to register. Great, they’re already checking him out as new meat. The handcuffs are uncomfortable tight so he holds his hands in a way that there is as less strain on his wrists as possible. When he looks up, he can see the armed guards on the roof. He slowly starts to have second thoughts about this mission.

Once he is lead inside the building, a wave of cold dread washes over him. He is going to be processed. Riley told him how it was for her, no details but he got the message. On the other hand, this is not the first time he is being processed during a mission, but never in such a crowded space. He sees Jack leaning against the wall, disinterest written over his face. One by one, they have to strip down naked and are examined for contraband. The process is humiliating and intrusive and Mac can feel a blush creeping in his face. Great! Damn his fair complexion. All his scares are photographed and put in a federal records database.

‘Frank Morris!’

‘Yes, here.’

‘You can get dressed. You inmate number is 41623. Sign here.’

A staple of papers are shoved towards him and he picks up a pen. He is shown his commitment form that tells him he belongs to the government. Well, is that the story of his life.

While they scan his fingerprints, he is able to squirrel away a paperclip from his file. He is let out, getting a wink from a particular guard leaning against the wall. He hopes nobody saw it. And then he is finally out of the processing room and moving towards his designated wing. But the next space they enter isn´t much better, inmates are everywhere and some are getting in his face; he does his best to look confident, while he is being guided by a CO through the mass of people.

When they arrive at his cell, he gets a shove into a cell.

‘Home sweet home.’

The cell door closes with a thud. Luckily he doesn´t have a cell mate. The door opens again and he is handed the bare minimum of bedding, blankets and a pillow. Since he arrived at the wing before the evening meal at around five o’clock, he is unlocked an told to join the queue for his dinner. Queuing, he checks out his surroundings. He doesn´t see Jack, but he does see a lot of predatory eyes. He picks up a tray and follows the line until he receives his dinner. He can’t help rolling his eyes, the slob looks almost inedible. He scans the chow hall and finds an empty table and sits down.

He is still contemplating how he is going to eat this when he hears coughing behind him. Whoever has the coughing fit, sucks on an inhaler which clearly doesn´t work, because he can hear the man wheezing. Turning around he asks the man if he is out of meds.

‘Plenty of medicine. It just won´t spray. Been asking for a new one for six months.’

‘May I?’

Mac quickly diagnoses what is wrong with the inhaler and fixes it with a tooth of his plastic fork.

‘Give it a try.’

The old man inhales and exhales and looks surprised.

‘I don’t like owing anyone anything, so I’ll pay you back with some advice. You shouldn’t have even talked to me in the first place. In here, there are no friends, only enemies. If you want to survive, mind your won damn business.’

Well so much for trying to help a guy out. He wished he could follow the man’s advice, but that is not why he is here, he has a mission. So he quickly gobbles some of the food up and walks back to his cell. The CO locks the cells at 6 o’clock.

With nothing to do time passes slow as molasses, as it does probably for all the prisoners in here. But he doesn´t have anything with him. He will need to ask Riley when he is allowed to call to send him something to do. All the tales of horror of prison pass through his mind. Why did Jack made him watch the Shawshank Redemption a couple of weeks ago?

He can only hope that the prison staff are concerned about his safety and that the systems in place to keep him safe work. He is realistic enough to know that Jack can’t be here 24/7, so…

* * *

The next morning the cell opens at seven and he is told to get breakfast. The men from his wing are escorted to the chow hall. At least the coffee is passable and whatever breakfast is supposed to be, he eats it. He needs the calories. Hopefully Jack will be able to sneak in some real food.

He wants to start planning how he will get El Noche out, but he is told to report to the library so he does as he is told. When he arrives, he recognizes the old guy with the inhaler. There are already men waiting and it turns out they need to attend lectures and presentations about the prison rules and guidelines. Afterwards he is told to meet up with the drug team.

Mac tries to explain he doesn´t have a history of drug abuse and that his crime wasn’t drug related, but he still needs to meet up with them. He is also told that failing to do so will be a black mark against his prison records. Mac considers not going, who cares about Frank Morris’ record, but he doesn´t want to get in trouble with the staff, who knows when he needs them. So, once again, he does what he is told. After a quick visit at medical he is declared fit and healthy, so he can work or go to school, whatever he prefers. He tells the social worker he would like to work and she promises to see what jobs are available.

* * *

The first day went uneventful and Mac is already bored out of his mind. The next morning after breakfast, he is allocated a personal officer, CO Morgan. He looks like a decent guy but Mac why Riley didn´t assigned him with Jack.

‘Frank? Are you listening?’

‘Yeah, I’m sorry officer Morgan, I…’

‘No worries, now remember, if there is anything, call me, OK? Even if it is just to talk.’

‘I’ll remember that.’

‘And kid, don´t get in the wrong crowds, OK? Try to keep to yourself. A man like you…’

Mac gets it, he is pretty. Too pretty for prison.

‘I’ll be fine.’

‘You will kid.’

The CO locks up his cell again, as long as he doesn´t work, he stays locked up until lunch. The cell certainly is depressing, so after he checked every nook and cranny, he starts doing some exercises.

When the door is unlocked around noon, Mac is glad to be out of the cell, even if it is to eat that slob they call lunch.

After lunch they are escorted back to their wing and allowed one hour of socializing inside the main space, they can also use the showers in this hour, with zero privacy. The moment the CO goes to talk to an inmate, a guy gets up in Mac’s face. It is more than clear what he wants so he will have to show he will stand up for himself. He gives the guy a sneaky punch while the man tries to pretend there is nothing wrong. Mac gets in the man’s face, ‘I’m nobody s’ bitch, understood?’

The CO notices something is wrong and calls out to step away from each other. Mac immediately complies, so the CO turns away again. He isn´t paid enough to care. Mac knows he needs to be careful. So when the PA-system announces that all inmates must return to their cells, he is sort of relieved.

Now that he is back in his cell, he remembers Riley’s speech about how nobody trusts a coward. She picked out an inmate, Vincent Heath. So he will see if he can locate Vincent when he is in the yard later. He wants to speed things up.

During yard time, he scans the place and finds Vincent on a bench press. Walking up to him, the man is just sitting up. This is it.

‘You got a problem with me?’

The moment Vincent stands up Mac knows this is gonna hurt. He is able to duck under the first punch, but he gets a left across the face that sends him reeling. They end up near the bench press and it is clear Vincent is going to use it against him, so the moment the man puts his hands on the weights, Mac pulls the safety, sliding off the weights, causing the bar to hit Vincent straight in the face. Somewhere in the background he can hear an alarm but he is a bit too busy not to be killed. Picking up one of the weights, he is just in time for the next punch. Vincent yowls when he hits the weight, but continues throwing punches. A left smacks him full in the face and he goes down. He can feel blood flowing from his nose. The world tilts to the side and it disorients him for a moment. When he looks up, he can see Vincent holding one of the weights above his head, ready to throw it at him. But for some reason, he can´t get up.

And then all of a sudden, guards pour into the yard restraining Vincent.

‘Stop that fight! Drop it!’

‘Break it up. Break it up! Back off!’

‘On your feet!’

Someone grabs his arm, and pulls him up.

‘You heard me! I said get up! On your feet!’

It is only now that Mac recognizes Jack’s southern drawl and he lets himself be dragged away to a corner.

‘I know this was part of the plan, but you could have at least waited until I was here to get your back,’ it is whispered followed by a louder, ‘ hands against the wall.’

‘Funny thing about being locked up, is it makes you inpatient to get out. Besides I think it worked.’

He grunts when Jack pulls his sore arm backwards and cuffs it.

‘I just need a little one-on-one time, have Riley put me on his work detail.’

‘I would if I could, but Riley can’t find her way into the prison´s computer right now.’

Shit, if Riley can’t help him.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.’

‘Okay’

Jack finished cuffing him.

‘Hey, since we’ve been, uh, standing over here chitchatting so long in front of everybody. I think it is only fair that I rough you up a little bit, okay?’

Mac wants to turn around, ‘what?’

But he is slammed against the wall with force.

‘I said, don’ eyeball me, convict!’

He is pulled back and slammed against the wall a second time and he grunts. He took some blows to his ribs and they protest the rough treatment.

‘Let’s go!’

He pulls Mac, with him, while he whispers, ‘sorry, sorry.’

Mac just stares at Jack, everything hurts too much to say anything. They are stopped once they are inside by one of the CO’s, ‘where do you think you are going?’

‘To his cell.’ Jack answers

‘I don´t think so, he is going to solitary, he provoked the fight, we saw it on the cameras.’

There isn´t much Jack can say without getting suspicious.

‘Take him to the hotbox, cell six.’

Jack pulls Mac with him, ‘this is no Bueno man, I’m assigned to B-block.’

‘I know, but it is what it is, there is nothing you can do, so just go.’

When they arrive in the wing, the CO on duty opens the cell and Jack pushes him in without a word. The door locking behind him has a strange finality to it. The cell is tiny, smaller than Pepper’s stall at the Dalton farm and stripped bare.

When it is dinner time, the slot in the door opens and a tray is shoved in. With nothing to do, he eats it. His head hurts and he knows he will feel worse in the morning. So he lays down on the stripped bed and closes his eyes against the overhead lights.

* * *

When the slot in the door opens outside mealtimes, Mac tries to see who it is.

‘For a smart guy, you’re pretty damn dumb. How many old guys you see in here? You think I lasted this long by making trouble?’

A book is handed through the slot. Mac accepts it, realizing he already read it.

‘Great book. I’ve already read it.’

‘Not this copy.’

Mac opens it and inside are some disinfectants wipes and pain killers in powder form.

‘Use those sparingly. The way you are making friends, you’ll need them.’

The slot is closed and Mac wonders if Jack had anything to do with it. He can´t imagine that this guy made it into the hotbox without any guards knowing about it. But he doesn´t have time to think further about it, because the door opens and he is told to assume the position against the opposite wall. One of the CO’s restraints him in shackles before escorting him to an outside cage where he is left. The restraints are not taken off. He feels like an animal, non-human. He now understands what solitary confinement will do to the human psyche and he now starts to understand Murdoc’s willingness to co-operate. He is almost glad when he is escorted back to his cell. His head hurts and squinting didn´t really help. He’s probably concussed and he tells the CO who escorts him. The CO answers him that he will put in the request to be seen by medical.

When his restraints are taken off and he can lay down on his bunk, he sighs in relief. Maybe if he can sleep, the headache will get better.

* * *

In the morning, the slot opens and breakfast is pushed through, but he feels nauseated so he doesn´t bother getting up.

He wakes up again, when a lunch tray is pushed through. He will need to get up. He needs to drink at least. But when he sits up, the room starts spinning. This isn´t worth feeling this bad, so he lays down again. If only they would kill the lights in his cell, but they are on all the time.

* * *

When Jack’s cell rings, he answers it, ‘Hello sugar pie, I’m at work, remember?’

_‘Jack, I managed to find a way in the computer of the kitchen and I saw that an inmate in solitary confinement hasn´t eaten all day. I think you need to check it out.’_

‘Well, I’ll make sure to bring that with me.’

He disconnects the call and walks up to the shift coordinator.

‘Bensinger wants to switch with me, is that alright?’

The man looks up and checks the list nodding, ‘take care of it between yourselves, OK?’

‘Yeah, no worries.’

He walks up to the hole.

‘Hey Bensinger, boss told me to switch with you.’

The man’s face perks up, ‘Perfect.’

‘Anything I need to know?’

‘Not really, they were quiet most of the day. The one in six hasn´t eaten anything.

‘I’ll take care of it. You can report in cell block B.’

‘See you later.’

Jack counted on the fact that most guards don´t like doing solitary. Jack checks the papers but everything seems fine. The book he requested for Mac made it to him or so it is noted in the report. So it is time to go check what is wrong with his kid.

He first addresses him through the slot like any CO would do, mindful of the surveillance cameras, but he doesn´t really gets a response. His worry increases and he unlocks the door. Mac is curled up on his cot.

‘Hey Frank, you alright?’

He doesn´t want to blow their covers just yet if it turns out that Mac is fine and just playing the sulky inmate. Mac stirs, squinting up at Jack.

‘Does your head hurts?’

Mac doesn´t really says anything, he just pales, bends over and vomits.

‘Jzs, kid.’

Using his radio, he requests a medical intervention in the hole. It only takes a couple of minutes before two guards enter with a gurney.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I was informed he hadn´t eaten at all, so when I went to check up on him, he was not really responsive.’

Gesturing at the vomit, he continues, ‘I suspect he has a concussion.’

‘Great.’

Mac is lifted onto the gurney and taken to the infirmary.

* * *

‘So mister Morris, you have a grade two concussion. So I’m advising a week of rest before returning to normal activities. Therefore I will order to keep the lights to a minimum so you can rest properly and I am subscribing pain killers. Any questions?’

‘No sir.’

The doctor calls the guards in and tells them to escort Mac back to his cell. The doctor gave him something for the nausea and his headache, so he feels better. And since he is in segregation, he has plenty of rest. Once he is back in his cell, he closes his eyes. As promised, they dimmed the lights in his cell. That combined with the pain killers make him fall asleep fairly quickly.

* * *

One week later the door opens and Mac sits up.

‘OK Morris, you are going to your regular cell.’

Mac gets up and is escorted out of the wing. While they wait to open the door to his cell, the guard warns him to stay out of trouble. Mac tells him he will do his best.

He is told to report to the officer on duty because a job came up in the laundry and he is to start the day after if he is still interested. He tells the man he is interested and he wants the job, so the man nods, filling in the paperwork.

Now that he is back on track and the headaches have mostly cleared up, he can concentrate on getting El Noche out of here.


End file.
